Social Problems: Constructionist Readings

Description

This collection of focused essays is directed at several levels of students of social problems. It is accessible to the uninitiated, who are not familiar with the constructionist literature, and aimed at those who are not particularly interested in subtle theoretical and empirical issues of concern to academics studying social problems from constructionist perspectives. Some readings focus on the construction of problems by scientists and other professionals; others examine the work of social activists, mass media, and social service personnel. Among the topics included are studies of social inequalities and individual deviance; a comparison of the images of social problems in the United States with those in other countries; and an examination of the importance of politics and power in constructing public images of social problems. Constructionist perspectives have become the leading theoretical approach for sociology and allied fields in studying social problems. Yet constructionists' impact on the teaching of social problems has been far less dramatic. Undergraduate courses on social problems are often subject to a theoretical barrage of eclectic perspectives. Just as the first social problems textbooks did almost a century ago, textbooks continue to present a series of unrelated chapters, each devoted to a particular social problem. Social Problems is an effort at systematic analysis rather than random thought on the subject. Social Problems presents detailed case studies demonstrating how constructionist perspectives can actually be applied to understand particular social problems. While these articles can be read alone, the editors have organized these selections to correspond with the chapter topics in the second edition of Donileen Loseke's Thinking about Social Problems, an accessible introduction to constructionist approaches. At the same time, some instructors who use this edited collection might wish to provide their own mix to the selection process. Many of the contributions make multiple points and so reasonably could be used to illustrate other basic texts or classic studies in the field of social problems. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface I. Examining Social Problems Introduction 1 The Changing Meanings of Spanking TRADITIONAL DEFENSES OF SPANKING The Sign of Nonpermissiveness Anticipatory Socialization God's Will A Morally Neutral Childrearing Tool A Psychic Release THE CRITICS RESPOND EMERGENT MEANINGS Spanking Is Compulsive Spanking Is a Demeaning, Violent Act The Advocates Respond DISCUSSION REFERENCES 2 Bullying as a Social Problem in Great Britain THE BRITISH EXPERIENCE THE UNION LINK THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE REFERENCES 3 The Problem with the Earthquake Problem EARTHQUAKE RISKS ARE NO BIG DEAL THE EARTHQUAKE THREAT RECONSIDERED IS THE EARTHQUAKE THREAT UNIQUE? EXPLAINING SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND NONPROBLEMS 4 Reality Television Constructs Crime THE CRIME GENRE SYMBOLS IDEOLOGY REALISM A Television Reality CONCLUSION REFERENCES II. Claims-Makers and Audiences Introduction 5 Audiences Evaluate Statistics ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES AND OFFICIAL STATISTICS THINKING ABOUT STATISTICS AS SOCIAL PRODUCTS THE CRITICAL APPROACH TO THINKING ABOUT SOCIAL STATISTICS 6 Promoters of Hate Crime Legislation THE MODERN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT THE CONTEMPORARY WOMEN'S MOVEMENT THE GAY/LESBIAN MOVEMENT THE CRIME VICTIM MOVEMENT SOCIAL MOVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND NEW ATTENTION TO A N OLD PROBLEM The Antidefamation League of B'nai B'rith The National Institute Against Prejudice and Violence The Center for Democratic Renewal The Southern Poverty Law Center The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence The National Victim Center THE POLITICS OF VIOLENCE AND ATTENDANT LEGAL TRANSFORMATIONS 7 Psychiatrists Construct Homosexuality REFERENCES 8 Television Talk Shows Construct Morality SECULAR FUN: THE CIRCUS AS ENTERTAINMENT TURNING AWAY FROM SIN: RELIGIOUS REVIVALS AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONVERSION TELEVISION TALK SHOWS AS CIRCUS AND REVIVAL III. Constructing Conditions Introduction 9 Smoking Problems in Japan THE TOBACCO ENTERPRISE LAW AND THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE U.S. INFLUENCE ON THE TOBACCO MARKET IN JAPAN INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTS FOR TOBACCO IN JAPAN OPPOSITION TO TOBACCO CONCLUSION 10 Crime Frames and their Sponsors Theodore Sasson FAULTY SYSTEM BLOCKED OPPORTUNITIES SOCIAL BREAKDOWN MEDIA VIOLENCE RACIST SYSTEM REBUTTALS 11 Framing in the Fathers' Rights Movement THE MEN'S MOVEMENT: A N OVERVIEW LIBERAL FEMINISM AND THE GENDER-NEUTRAL FRAME THE FATHERS' RIGHTS MOVEMENT'S FRAMES Claim 1: Men Are Victims Claim 2: External Constraints against Individual Choice Constitute Discrimination Claim 3: Differences between Men and Women Are Primarily Cultural and Claim 4: Liberating Women Is in the Best Interests of Everyone RHETORIC AND CLAIMS-MAKING IN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS 12 Factory Farming as a Social Problem FARM'S ORIGINAL RHETORIC: CRUELTY TO FARM ANIMALS EXPANDED FARM RHETORIC: HEALTH CONSEQUENCES FURTHER RHETORICAL EXPANSION: ENVIRONMENTAL DEVASTATION DISCUSSION IV. Constructing People Introduction 13 The Rhetorical Appeal of Random Violence Joel Best THE NATURE OF RANDOM VIOLENCE THE APPEAL OF RANDOM VIOLENCE THE LANGUAGE OF CRIME 14 Prostitutes Respond to AIDS Valerie Jenness AIDS AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM THE SCAPEGOATING OF PROSTITUTES FOR AIDS RECONSTRUCTING CLAIMS ABOUT HIV INFECTION RATES OPPOSING MANDATORY TESTING ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL DISPLACEMENT CONCLUSION 15 Science Constructs PMS PMS AS A FEMINIST SCIENTIFIC ARTIFACT Scholarly and Social Science Explanations of PMS/Menstruation THE 1983 CONFERENCE AND SCIENTIFICALLY DEFINING PMS THE PMS INDUSTRY WHAT'S AT STAKE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PMS? REFERENCE 16 Multicultural Education as Moral THE RHETORIC OF MULTICULTURAL EDUCATIONAL REFORM Casting "Culturally Different Students" as Victims Casting "Anglocentric Schools" as Villains Casting "Multicultural Educators" as Heroes DISCUSSION V. Constructing Solutions Introduction 17 The Homeless Mentally 111 and Involuntary Hospitalization CLAIMS-MAKERS AND PUBLIC POLICY CONSTRUCTING IMAGES OF SANITY AND INSANITY SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND PUBLIC POLICIES 18 Constructing a War on Drugs THE FRENZY: COCAINE AND CRACK IN THE PUBLIC EYE OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT EVIDENCE The Drug Abuse Warning Network NIDA Surveys NIDA Survey Data on Crack The New Right and Its Moral Ideology THE POLITICAL CONTEXT OF THE "CRACK CRISIS" Political Party Competition CONCLUSION 19 Urine Testing and Social Control CLAIMS-MAKING, COUNTER CLAIMS-MAKING AND EMPLOYER POLICY Precursor Movements THE CONTROVERSIES OVER URINE TESTING EMPLOYERS' RESPONSES TO DEVIANCE THE SOCIAL NATURE OF EMPLOYERS' URINE-TESTING POLICIES 20 The Size Acceptance Movement THE EMERGENCE OF THE SIZE ACCEPTANCE MOVEMENT Nondieting as an Allied Movement Social Conditions Precursor Movements THE STRUCTURE AND PROCESSES OF THE SIZE ACCEPTANCE MOVEMENT Political Activism Social Support SIZE ACCEPTANCE AND THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF BODY WEIGHT VI. Social Problems and Everyday Life Introduction 21 Constructing the Need for "Low Fat" Food LIGHT FOOD AND NUTRITION PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL MARKETING THE AGE OF LOW-FAT PROJECT LEAN AND HEALTHY CHOICE: PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE FOOD INDUSTRY Project LEAN Healthy Choice CONCLUSION REFERENCE 22 Pregnant Women as a Social Problem PREGNANCY, PERCEIVED DEFECTS, AND HISTORY A FETUS-CENTERED FETAL ENDANGERMENT RHETORIC Legitimate Activity and Pregnancy Ingestion as Conscious Activity Getting To Know the Hidden: Information Gathering about the Fetus Mental and Emotional Harness: Against Worry, in Favor of Acceptance Legitimate Concern with Appearance: The Pregnant Appearance and Its Connotations Students of Pregnancy DEVELOPING THE RHETORIC OF FETAL ENDANGERMENT RHETORICS OF ENDANGERMENT AND THE PRICE OF DISAGREEMENT 23 Constructing Sexually Marginalized Catholics CONSTRUCTING THE SEXUALLY MARGINALIZED PERSON THE ORGANIZATION OF DIGNITY CONSTRUCTING THE DIGNIFIED SELF Constructing Spiritual Sexuality Constructing Sexual Spirituality DISCUSSION REFERENCE 24 The Beliefs of Recovery Religion FREEDOM TO BE ME: VALUATION OF SELF OVER SOCIETY FAMILY: THE TIES THAT BIND EMOTIONAL SCARS RUN DEEP HEALING TAKES HELP HOOKED ON BEING HOOKED CONCLUSIONS VII. Social Problems and Troubled People Introduction 25 Medicalizing Childhood THE RISE OF THE NEW PEDIATRICS GOAL TRANSFORMATIONS AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS CHILDREN, PEDIATRICIANS, AND MEDICALIZATION SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND PROFESSIONS 26 Teaching Gifted Children ASSEMBLING ORDINARINESS THE EFFECTS OF ORDINARINESS REFERENCES 27 Constructing Insanity in Involuntary Commitment Hearings MENTAL ILLNESS ASSUMPTIONS ORGANIZATIONAL ORIENTATIONS PROMOTING PATIENTS' "BEST INTERESTS" 28 Formula Stories and Support Groups for Battered Women THE NARRATIVE PLOT OF VIOLENCE: "TELL US WHAT HE DID TO YOU" THE NARRATIVE PLOT OF RESPONSIBILITY A ND CONTROL: "HE'S CONTROLLING YOU" INTERPRETIVE COMPLEXITY AND IDENTITY VIII. Evaluating Constructionist Perspectives on Social Problems Introduction 29 "Crack Babies" and the Politics of Mothering IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM A NEW BIO-UNDERCLASS? THE POLITICS OF NURTURANCE CONCLUSION REFERENCES 30 The Symbolic Meanings of "Pedophile Priests" THE MEDIA AND CLERGY SEX ABUSE PROFESSIONAL INTEREST GROUPS THE POLITICAL CONTEXT CONCLUSION 31 Horror Stories and the Construction of Child Abuse EVOKING NEGATIVE EMOTIONALITY THE ROLE OF HORROR STORIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHILD ABUSE AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM 32 Constructing the "Jewish Problem" in Nazi Germany TYPIFYING THE JEW Christian Claims and European Discontents German Nationalism and Nazi Claims APPEALING TO AUDIENCES AND GARNERING SUPPORT ORDINARY GERMANS AND THE BANALITY OF EVIL REFERENCES